Altoids Mint Chocolate Chip Ice Cream

     Every now and then I get wild hair and decide to drag out the old ice cream maker. There's a pretty good recipe for vanilla custard ice cream in there that I used as the base of this recipe. I had a taste for mint chocolate chip. I had the chocolate chips, but no mint. I don't really keep that kind of extract in the house. I do, however, keep Altoids. I read somewhere that you can substitute crushed Altoids when you need mint. That's what I did. I crushed up some Altoids and added green food coloring for that unmistakable "Shamrock Shake Green" tint. This made for some fantastic ice cream. It's a bit of a P.I.T.A. to make. If you want ice cream fast, just head to the Dairy Queen. Pick me up a Dilly Bar while you're there. As always, notes and changes are in blue.

Altoids Mint Chocolate Chip
Ice Cream

Ingredients

• 1/4 cup sugar
• 4 egg yolks (I really despise having to de-yolk the eggs. It means I end up having to find stuff to do with the whites)
• 1-1/4 cups milk
• 1-1/4 cups whipping cream
• 1-1/2 teaspoons vanilla
• 1/2 cup mini chocolate chips (use more if you'd like. 1/2 cup of chips isn't really visible, but they're in there!)
• 10 drops green food coloring
• 10 crushed peppermint Altoids (Yes. Altoids. Just trust me on this)

Directions

1. Beat egg yolks and sugar until light (I started making this around noon, so it was already light. I guess I was supposed to start this sometime after sunset). Add the crushed Altoids to the milk and heat the milk to just boiling. Slowly beat the milk into the egg/sugar mix (be careful that the milk isn't too hot or it's going to cook the eggs when you pour it in. Also, don't dump it all in at once. That's bad, too. Or so I've heard. I don't make mistakes like that).
2. Pour the mixture into a saucepan and cook, stirring constantly until thick enough to coat the back of a spoon (this takes a while. Be patient. Have a glass of wine or six). Cool completely. 
3. Add the whipping cream and vanilla to the custard. Combine thoroughly. Refrigerate until cold.
4. Toss the mixture in the ice cream maker of your choice. Once it starts mixing, add the food coloring and chocolate chips. Process about 30 minutes. Throw it in the freezer if you want it a bit harder. (Take note of the fact that I took the moral high ground and did not make an obvious erection joke.)

Good times!

UPDATE: This was just too good looking not to add to the post.